Winter Warfare II

Of all the different takes on basic black metal that have sprung full grown from the rapidly cooling corpse of the '90s scene, war metal is at least interesting to me in that it is so conflicted in its heart, trying to be both innovative and completely traditional at the same time. It's novel in that it is seeking to grow out of black metal's fundamental aesthetics (simple, dark, anthem-like chord progressions, harsh screaming, blast speeds, attempts at representing "chaos" in the music, etc.) and then both reach ahead of that conventional view/reflection and still stay closely linked to what has come before, squatting vulpine over whatever it can salvage from the fading aesthetics of the last decade's black bands - extracting the "essence" of the destructive ability of the most effective bands and seeking to exaggerate it, to push it to new limits. "War metal", then, in its most extreme instances (Revenge, Conqueror, Axis of Advance - one can see the Canadian legacy already growing, which this band continues) is a deliberate flaunting of pure black metal aesthetics (problematic in that this judgment on my part and the use of the ambiguous word "pure" is subjective), or black metal stripped to the bone yet again and made to embrace its own beginnings (symbolized here by OWM including a Bathory cover), its simplest elements. In its primal state, however, war metal seems to only promulgate an aggressiveness of sound and violence/chaos both in production standards and riffing styles, everything else can be laid by the side. Is there a "generic" sound to war metal, an archetype, a riffing pattern, a set series of melodies? As of right now, at this point... not at all. War metal seems to be at that very beginning point in the history of a genre where simple aesthetic themes, modes, or artist beliefs are first isolated and identified... separated in order to later be combined in different expressive forms. What can be noticed is only, as I said above, the deliberate concentration on utterly conservative, traditional themes and lyrical subject matter: war, battles, bloodshed, the inclement nature of grim struggles between states. This crowning "evolution" in aesthetics, then, is only (once again) a return to one of the most basic motifs in metal...something that had been explored since the first days of Black Sabbath ("War Pigs", "Iron Man", etc.). Is metal one of the most obvious proponents in the musical sphere - consistently - of this back-to-basics approach, this "evolution in regression"? I don't know. I do recognize that this ethic seems to renew it claim to ascendency/legitimacy every few years, however, just when certain segments or subgenres in the scene seem to be about to collapse beneath their own weight of overwrought elaboration and arabesque detail. The last few times it was still able to inject new energy, drive, and enthusiasm into the creative effort - perhaps with the newest "war metal" bands it will be successful once again.

Operation Winter Mist seems to be the most successful, as far as I can tell, mainly in creating a concept and lyrical subject of concentration that is obviously inspiring to them - something that they can collectively focus on at this point and use to build their own style, their own original series of essential messages/communications. As musical collaborators they are not now at the point where their aesthetic sense has been able to penetrate into the substance and basic melodic identity of their material, although in terms of their lyrical concepts and the strong, cohesive personality of the band, they seem to have an advantage in working towards this. The lyrics are excellent, appearing as long, detailed accounts of historical struggles interlaced with personal exhortation and a series of attempts to bring the "atmosphere" of war efforts (battlefield ethics and the like) into the present, into the world that each song creates. It's interesting how they seem to mix the "standard" of battle fetishism with a concentration on winter themes - melding, once again, two (at this point) completely traditional black metal topics into one realm or subject which they can then base their imagery and identity upon. This band, one is led to believe, would not exist if it wasn't for Conqueror or Blasphemy, but then there is the concentration on December tones that comes from northern European black metal (in "Blood on Ice" they flagrantly steal a riff from Darkthrone) as well - in the pictures in the lyric booklet here OWM appears both in corpse paint and wearing war regalia - in this sense they are a fusion of two conflicting strands within black metal. German references might be taken from the ideas surrounding Marduk's deliberate "Panzer Division Marduk", or they might not. These ideas (in themselves) are also completely traditional - metal's fascination with the "blood and iron" of Bismarck has a storied past. I tend not to concentrate on "fashion" when I am thinking about music, but these overt, deliberate signs of identity are interesting. As with other types of fashion within underground metal (or "imagery") these things appear as animated symbols or signs of the band's underlying lyrical concepts - or at least they are supposed to.

This presentation of "Winter Warfare II" is not a sequel album, as its title might lead one to believe, it is simply a collection of this band's releases to this point summarized and presented together in order to make a strong aesthetic statement... or at least a more "professional" one, I am thinking, than their earlier offerings. It features two EPs, Winter Warfare I and II (II being created expressly for this CD, I believe) with bonus live versions of songs from both sections. I do not know why the band didn't just concentrate on writing a complete record and releasing that... perhaps they meant this initial salvo to establish their place in the scene and open the way for later appearances. In any case these are not ancient creations, WW I was recorded in February of 2002 and the second EP exactly a year later. It is intriguing that the later material wasn't placed first here... in this way the listener is forced to trace the band's progression, to follow along beside their creative endeavor and see how they built upon their first songs. The two EPs are separate collections in themselves and do not dovetail, as the fourth track here is an intro to WW II (which does mirror the beginning of the first track) and separates the second "release" from the first.

Anyway, if it seems like I am hesitating in this reviewing and halting just short of some kind of "definitive" statement or judgment on the music, it is only because I actually do not have any strong opinions regarding what I find here. Why? I have nothing to really react to. As I said above, OWM do not, at this point in time, have a cohesive identity within their music... what they do present is simply a pastiche, melange, or oversimplification of their strongest influences. The concept of the band has yet to bear fruit within the music...although it has already suffused the band's imagery, lyrics, language, and (one would think) their entire view of themselves. One can only give it time, and see what the future will bring. Certain elements in the newest material here (especially on "At All Cost" from WW II) definitely show promise, but I think this band just needs to concentrate on their songwriting at this point and try to build a more original vehicle for their obsessions...hopefully they will.

UA

Erebus Magazine
http://erebuszine.blogspot.com

I spent a considerable amount of time and money tracking this CD down, and it was well worth it. Few bands that call themselves war metal actually do it right and fewer still do it in a manner that is enjoyable. Operation Winter Mist do both.

This CD is a compilation of sorts; it contains the Winter Warfare EP, three brand-new songs, a Bathory cover, and four live tracks. The EP portion starts off with a memorable track entitled "Frostbitten Northern War", which instantly blows the listener off his feet with a crushing blastbeat barrage and a heavy, churning riff. It then slows down to mid pace, then picks back up near the end of the song. The next track, "Forever Frost", I found rather dull; the last of the EP, "Blood on Ice", I found considerably better, and was probably the highlight of this portion of Winter Warfare. The song is a mid-to-slow-paced crusher, with (I think but I may be wrong) some synth work near the middle.

The new songs, however, are truly the ones that felt like the band was rushing in, guns blazing. Winter Warfare was the band trying to find its identity; Winter Warfare II is the band having found one. It starts off with an intro lasting roughly one minute, which consists of battle sounds and a countdown. I expected the first "real track", "Into the Trenches", to be fairly violent to start off, seeing as it is a trend for any track following an intro to be savage to some degree. I did not expect such a degree, however. It opens with a shrapnel-sharp riff, followed by a precise blast by the drummer, which lasts for most of the song. The drummer's skill behind the kit has greatly improved from the EP; in some of the tracks, the blasts were rather uncontrolled and rushed, whereas here they are all fit neatly in place. As a matter of fact, the musicianship of all the members have improved, most noticeably Panzer's vocal delivery; he sounds even more of a snarling, possessed animal than before. The next track, "At all Cost", is a real highlight; the verses are ideal for moshing, and the choruses are ideal for headbanging. The final new track is entitled "Iron Coffins", a slow-to-mid-paced monster of a song which unexpectedly speeds up in the middle of the song, then slows back down to its usual speed. The best way to describe this track would be to say it is akin to the advance of a tank; slow, crushing, and heavy, but with the ability for sudden bursts of speed. The cover of Bathory's "Sadist" would have put a smile on Quorthon's face, bless his black heart.

Now onto the live portion of the CD...There really isn't much to say about these four tracks, apart from the fact that one can truly feel the furious live energy that the band is capable of. This is evident in all the tracks, but especially in "At all Cost" and "Frostbitten Northern War". The sound quality is bad, as can be expected, but at least you can hear all the instruments. Not to mention the crowd having what seems to be a hell of a good time.

This CD proves that Operation Winter Mist is a truly underrated band; maybe if they were located in more auspicious surroundings and were signed under a larger label, that would change. Nonetheless, this is one of my favourite releases of all time, and I urge anyone that is interested in war metal to obtain this CD, put it into your computer, and lock & load.

Artist: Operation Winter Mist
Album Title: Winter Warfare II
Label: Regimental

This is the first full-length CD from Operation Winter Mist, a Canadian band that plays war/black metal.

This band's songwriting concentrates on war, war, and nothing but war (and possibly also cold). It actually seems closer in spirit to old Bolt Thrower than to the modern cadre of war metal bands, as this is crushing, snarling, mid-paced metal extolling honor and sacrifice. In execution, though, Operation Winter Mist is probably most similar to second-wave black metal classics like Darkthrone and Gorgoroth.

The guitar sound here alternates between a rumble and a higher tone, giving the album both depth and definition. The drumming is straightforward, but surprisingly varied, as these songs have everything from blast beats to slow, triumphant drumming. Vocals are a deep, clearly intelligible snarl, especially appropriate given the quality of the lyrics.

The songwriting on this album is quite good, and while the subject matter isn't exactly original, there's more than enough variation here to keep the listener engaged. There are plenty of well-placed breaks and changes to compliment the main theme of each song, and the slower passages add a lot of atmosphere. "Iron Coffin" is especially notable, with its vivid lyrics and ripping guitar lines. Speaking of vivid lyrics, you'll definitely want to check out the booklet for this one. There are some excellent descriptions of battle here, very evocative and powerful.

If you're interested in war metal, but have a taste for a more mid-paced sound than fellow Canadians Axis of Advance or Conqueror, this is definitely the album for you. Recommended.

Standout Tracks: "Blood on Ice", "At All Cost", "Iron Coffins"